Meta’s alternative to X (formerly Twitter), Threads, has reached a significant milestone by hitting 175 million monthly users on its first anniversary.

The announcement was made by Meta CEO and Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg on Wednesday via Threads, celebrating the platform’s rapid growth since its unexpected launch, AFP reported.

Threads was introduced to app stores on July 5 of last year as a spin-off of Instagram. It aimed to rival X after the latter faced backlash from users and advertisers following Elon Musk‘s acquisition in 2022.

The app was launched swiftly in response to Musk’s announcement of limiting posts on X for non-subscribers, which was among several controversial moves by the Tesla CEO. Seizing the opportunity, Zuckerberg promoted Threads through Instagram, leading to over 100 million downloads within a week across 100 countries. The EU had to wait until December due to regulatory concerns.

Threads became the fastest downloaded app ever, surpassing the record previously held by AI sensation ChatGPT. Although initial excitement dwindled, Threads saw steady growth, boosted by the Instagram crossover and users dissatisfied with Musk’s X.

Adam Mosseri, Threads chief, expressed hopes for the platform to become more independent from Instagram and plans to open it to advertisers in the near future.

Mosseri emphasized that becoming larger than Musk’s X “will take some time, but I will consider it a failure if we don’t get there,” he told Platformer. Threads has faced criticism for Meta’s decision to minimize news and political content, aiming for a more friendly atmosphere but risking reduced engagement.

“A year after launch, we know what Threads isn’t, but we don’t know what it is,” stated Emarketer principal analyst Jasmine Enberg. “The lack of a unique identity is one of its biggest hurdles to achieving real staying power,” she added.

X, now privately owned by Musk, no longer releases industry metrics but claims that its user base is growing and more engaged than other platforms. Debra Aho Williamson, chief analyst at Sonata Insights, noted, “Threads was launched during a time when X was struggling, but since then, X has been surprisingly resilient.” She highlighted that with major events like the Olympics, Euro 2024, and the US presidential election this year, X is likely to continue attracting users.

Threads’ first year marks a significant achievement, but its journey toward establishing a unique identity and long-term sustainability continues.